Ford's judgement is always in question, but, he and his brother are also very sly.
In my opinion, Ford purposely chose this time since he knew no one would be visiting. He didn't want witnesses.
As per usual, he played his 'Mayor card' to get preferential treatment. He was cagey enough not to reveal the actual purpose of his unscheduled visit. His 'Plan A ' was to request 'a tour' of the facility, once that was denied he moved to 'Plan B' (his real reason) and asked to speak with a specific prisoner. Which, was again denied. I can just see Ford handing out magnets to the guards, telling them to call him if they have any probs at any time. Blah, Blah, Blah.
Thankfully the guards adhered to the rules and brought this odd visit from the Mayor to the attention of supervisors at the jail.
Good on the Globe for bringing this bizarre visit to light.